Duck, Duck, Goose is a classic children's game played in playgrounds, parties and PE lessons around the world. Everyone sits in a circle, one player walks around tapping heads, and the moment they say “goose” there's a race around the circle. It needs no equipment, the rules take a minute to explain, and it works for almost any age.
What you need
- At least five players, and ideally ten or more.
- A clear, flat space big enough for everyone to sit in a circle with room to run around the outside.
- Nothing else: no ball, no cards, no kit.
How to play
- Sit in a circle. Everyone sits on the ground facing inwards, with a little space between them.
- Choose a picker. One player starts outside the circle. In some groups they're called “it” or the fox.
- Duck, duck, duck… The picker walks slowly around the outside, gently tapping each player on the head and saying “duck”.
- Goose! Whenever they like, the picker taps someone and says “goose” instead.
- The chase. The goose jumps up and chases the picker around the circle, in the same direction.
- Grab the spot. The picker tries to get all the way round and sit in the goose's empty place before being tagged.
- Swap over. If the picker makes it, the goose becomes the new picker. If the goose tags them first, the picker has another go (or goes into the mush pot, below).
Popular variations
- The mush pot. A picker who gets tagged sits in the middle of the circle, sometimes called the mush pot or stew pot, until someone else is caught and swaps with them.
- Duck, Duck, Grey Duck. The Minnesota version. The picker names ducks by colour (“red duck, blue duck, green duck”) and the chase starts on “grey duck”, so it's much harder to see coming.
- Silly walks. Instead of running, the goose and picker have to waddle, hop, skip or walk like a penguin. It's great for younger children and small spaces.
- Drip, Drip, Drop. A summer version played outdoors: the picker carries a cup of water and drips a little on each head, then tips the rest over the “drop”.
- New words. Swap in any pair that suits your group or topic, such as “cat, cat, dog” or “moon, moon, star”.
Circle-chase games like this are much older than the name. Drop the Handkerchief, where the picker secretly drops a hanky behind someone who then gives chase, is a long-established playground game built on the same idea.
Tips for teachers and parents
- Give everyone a turn. Try a rule that nobody can be picked twice until everyone has been a goose.
- Keep the lane clear. Leave at least a metre around the circle, and ask players to tuck their feet in.
- Agree on gentle taps. A light touch on the head or shoulder is plenty.
- Run the same way. The goose chases in the same direction as the picker, so nobody collides head-on.
- Include everyone. Players who can't run can be the picker, or everyone can switch to fast walking or silly walks.
Play it online
Our Duck Duck Goose game is built on the best moment of the playground version: waiting for “goose”. Real ducks quack and a real goose honks, and you react the instant you hear the honk. Play solo through hundreds of levels, or send friends a link and race them in the same room. Read the guide to the online game to find out more.